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Smart curve

Published 10 September 2014

From
Tony Richardson

Your leader on intelligence trends was most welcome (23 August, p 5). I would venture one other factor as key to IQ performance, and that is confidence, or the expectation of success. A recent review published by the Institute of Education at the University of London found that the performance of different types of schools is largely accounted for by the socioeconomic backgrounds of the children present. The influence of high expectations of other pupils, their teachers and, most importantly, their parents overrides all other indicators of a child’s success.

The report recognises that this largely explains the success of faith schools, with their selective intake and its implications for social divisions. It seems to me to be a deeply regressive notion, as you rightly point out, to cling to the antiquated idea that the greatest pool of talent resides with those traditionally in power. The purposes of this belief are obvious, but do not serve our country well.Ironbridge, Shropshire, UK